The Grinch X OC: A Human Visitor
by Alien Clavicles
Summary: Brittany was prepared to camp with her friends for the summer; not to be thrust into a world that was located on a snowflake! Not having a clue of how she landed in Whoville in the first place, she must find help to aid her in getting home again. And maybe, along the way, she'll make a friend or two.
1. Chapter 1: She Awakens

Brittany didn't remember much. She didn't recall the confines of the field twist into something that of the inside of a kaleidoscope; how her unconscious body floated for a short period within a wormhole of sorts. Hell, she didn't even remember her form be tossed rather harshly into the snow on the side of a mountain. What she could remember, however, was walking over to the summer campsite her friends were hosting when a bright light blinded her vision.

It seemed that time did not pass too quickly for the early adult, for when she awoke, she was cold, yes, but not frostbitten. Wait, cold? Frostbitten? Where was she?

Lifting her head slowly, Brittany cracked her eyes open to scan her surroundings. A cough mixed with a gasp escaped her dry lips. Snow, everywhere! The flakes fell not as a storm, but they still managed to cover anything they could reach in a short time. The nipping breeze didn't help to ease the girl's burden's either as it steadily lowered her body temperature.

Panic settled in, but not the kind that sent someone into hyper-drive. Unless she was about to get hit by a car, or be chased by a nasty predator, Brittany's nature wasn't like that. Instead, it was the kind of panic that shocked a person to the core for a split second, like the visual equivalent of a lightning strike, then faded to a humming anxiety that gnawed at their insides. At least Brittany didn't have panic attacks, but this feeling still left her plenty scared, and that was good enough.

The brunette lifted her stiff body to its feet and wiped the melted snow from her glasses as good as she could. She usually could see general shapes without them, but in this light and weather, that was not an option. Once she slipped them back onto her face (and attempting to ignore the wet smudges she couldn't get rid of), her attention quickly turned to the town below. Even though quite small in size, a healthy glow radiated from the Christmas lights that covered every object seen. And was that music? Yes, it was! That meant civilization! The young woman could hear carols being sung down below with such pure joy that they warmed her heart despite the cold and fear. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. The community itself seemed so welcoming that she knew she could get help there. Her heart rate calmed to a steady thrum. She was saved!

But...something seemed...familiar. So very familiar; a spark of a memory like an old gramophone playing a record after dormancy in a dusty closet. _That_ tune rang a bell in her head.

 _"Fah who For-aze_  
 _Dah who dor-aze_  
 _Welcome Christmas_  
 _Come this way!_

 _Fah who for-aze_  
 _Dah who dor-aze_  
 _Welcome Christmas_  
 _Christmas Day!"_

With a start, it clicked. Flashes of her childhood and teen years watching the movie pranced behind her eyes. The girl now knew where she was, and by God, if that didn't fill her entire body with raw excitement she didn't know what could!

This was what the Who's sang during Christmas season! She was in Whoville!

The girl let out a cheerful laugh and let her eyes gaze upon the charming little society below before another shock came to her. If this really was Whoville, then that meant the mountain she was on was…

"No way…" But yes way. The eerie candy-cane-like curve to the tip of the structure was a dead giveaway. Mount Crumpit. Home of the Grinch. And she was standing in the middle of it! What a dream this must be!

However, another panic episode suddenly set in, and Brittany began to feel very different now opposed to the happy attitude from below. She had a choice. She could go down to Whoville and ask for help, or hunt down the Grinch's lair and ask him instead. Dread started to eat at her insides. If her theory were correct, the Who's would count her off as some deformed, undergrown Who, and not as a human being. Surely, also, the Mayor wouldn't take her word for it as well, would he? If Brittany hadn't grown into her nose, according to him, then her request for help would be taken lightly; something that of child's play! She remembered the scene when the Mayor told Cindy Lou Who that she was a "not to be taken seriously girl who hadn't even grown into her nose yet."

Well, if her bets on asking Whoville were off the table, then that left the grumpy green Who up high. A shudder racked through her body, and not from the cold. The gloomy clouds that loomed overhead and whisked past parts of the mountaintop, which resulted in a hazardous looking atmosphere. The dark lighting from up there made the air feel colder now, and Brittany found herself desperately not wanting to waste even more precious time and body warmth scaling a damn mountain just to be turned away.

Then again, the Grinch was a skilled inventor. She remembered the scenes of his cave that showed all the fantastic contraptions lining the walls and littering the workshop tables. If Brittany could somehow convince the Grinch to let her stay with him, they could both figure out a way for her to get home, as well as understand how she got here. As far as she knew about the characters, greeny was the best option.

Fortunately, when the girl was transported here against her will, her belongings were with her: a suitcase full of clothes and toiletries, and her NASA themed backpack which contained her phone charger, headphones, NASA hat, sketchbook, journal, gum, sunscreen, and other objects needed.

Oh, and her iPhone! She completely forgot about that! Maybe there was still a chance that she could contact her family...somehow. There seemed to be something equivalent to cell towers down below, but the Who's didn't seem to have a system that required satellites into the mix as well. There must have been a different phone network system in place. Besides, Brittany wasn't too sure that the Who species was as advanced as her human one - advanced enough to build a satellite and place it into space. Speaking of which, how would they get a satellite into space even if they had the capabilities of creating one? After all, it's clearly shown in the movie that they lived on a snowflake…

The brunette shook her head from those pointless thoughts, and her chilled hands struggled to get a firm grip on the cellular device from her pocket. The object was freezing in her hands, but, to her relief, it turned on just fine, and she felt a sense of comfort at the familiar glow of technology illuminating her face. Quickly noticing the lack of bars, she wanted to try anyway in hopes that something would happen. With prayer, the brunette promptly selected her father's contact and hit call. He always answered, unlike her mother, who wasn't too savvy with technology like he was. He was her best bet.

 _"You have no service. Please go to an area with connection and try again."_

"Goddamnit!" She scream-whispered through her teeth and shoved the device back into her pocket. It was inevitable, she knew, but in a place like this, why _couldn't_ a miracle happen? A person's heart growing three sizes in a matter of minutes seemed magical enough, so why wouldn't something like that happen to her? Well, not to her _organs_ , but her phone bars...

Brittany sighed slowly to try and calm herself down before picking up her things. This was completely insane. She wondered if she'd ever return to her family and friends once more. If she'd be stuck here until the day she died.

Well, there was only one way to find out, and that was to get the help she needed. With a huff, the girl started her hike up the mountain to the Grinch's lair.

—

Hello! Welcome to a story I hopefully don't drop after a couple months.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas movies, maybe even borderlining on favorite movies in general. I think Ron Howard and the crew did a jaw-dropping job at managing to create an entirely different universe with its own culture, quirks, and species out of thin air with not too much reliance on humanity's culture as a whole to where it isn't different from us. What I'm saying is that it's its own thing, even if there's human in it. I think that's amazing.

And don't even get me started on the great camera angles and lighting effects. The atmosphere in that movie is something else. So Dr. Seuss!

I love this movie so much, in fact, that I've decided to slap my persona right into it. I'm really excited about this, and so I hope you give it a chance!

Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2: Bitter Cold Conflict

It was almost a good thing that Brittany wasn't wearing much to begin with. She had slipped on the sweater with the alien-themed logos on it before starting her trek. The energy she was using to haul herself and her luggage up each ridge on the mountain's face was enough to cause sweat to form upon her chilled skin. While losing strength, her body temperature was rising, which was good. The brunette wasn't that far off from the cave's entrance anyway; she could see it. Brittany would be able to rest there, and once the Grinch saw how tired she was, and how _not_ Who-like she was, he'd let her in for sure! Besides, it was rather imperative that he _did_ let her escape the freezing wind. A body such as hers wasn't suited for this environment; she'd surely die from exhaustion, if not from the temperature first.

It took a grueling twenty minutes at _least_ to scale the rest of the mountain before she reached Whoville's garbage dump. Flopping down onto the snowy ground in a heap, and letting her belongings rest beside her, she huffed heavily, warm breath coming out in large puffs. Her lungs struggled slightly to catch the oxygen it needed, she noticed, when the realization of how much thinner the air was up here dawned on her. It wasn't much, but it was undoubtedly enough to give an exhausted teen that just climbed a mountain without training a run for her money.

Brittany didn't know how long she rested there, just thinking. She knew it was a rather bad idea to take a break in the conditions that would soon take her life, but she found herself far too tired to move. The only thing her body could do was shiver to generate _any_ heat.

How was she even transported here? A portal wouldn't just somehow open up out of nowhere and take an innocent human to another world. But, then again, how _else_ would she have arrived here? Something like portal seemed the only logical option, and as much as she tried to convince herself that such a thing _didn't_ happen, she knew in the back of her mind that it _did._ The million and one theories to try and make sense of all this flooded her mind until she forgot all about her dire situation. She only stared at the night sky as snowflakes slowly consumed her form. Her clothes were practically soaked now, and little did she know that it was sapping what heat she had left.

What saved her from getting lost into her thoughts until death, though, was the sound of a dog barking and a male voice cutting through the deafening slow whistle of the wind that wished to lull Brittany to an endless sleep.

"Hurry up, Max! The dump's probably chock _full_ of useful trash we could have right now if your mangy butt weren't lazing behind!" Another bark echoed afterward.

Suddenly catching her second wind, Brittany suddenly realized why she was up here. She cursed herself for almost accepting death with open arms and lifted her head slightly. She could see the silhouette of two figures, one man-like, one a dog, coming her way.  
She needed to get up quick to avoid being viewed as a lifeless corpse rather than a poor girl needing help. The newfound adrenaline rushing through her system allowed her to spring to her feet with ease, but she couldn't deny the initial heaviness that her limbs seemed to have and the dizziness of standing up too fast. Quickly shaking it off, she could then feel the anxiety of how this interaction would go. God, it just didn't seem to end, did it?

It only took a couple more seconds for the furry Who himself and his companion to arrive at the dump, wondering what it would offer them this time. Still, the Grinch had a clue, as during this time of the year all the garbage was deemed the same: Christmas ties, old food, old trees, old toys, old old old. Still, none of the things thrown away seemed old to him. The nerve of those blasted Who's; throwing away perfectly usable items!

The Grinch expected to see the same sight as he did every couple days, but apparently, fate chose differently this time. Of course, there was the garbage in all it's clattered beauty, but to add to the mix was a girl that stood beside the heap, looking uneasy.

His piercing yellow gaze suddenly met hers, and all sounds ceased. Even Max froze on the spot, tail between his legs at the newcomer. The girl quietly gazed back. Her pupils would flick to anywhere but them every few seconds, indicating anxiety.

Hm. Well, this was new. So deliciously new. When was the last time The Grinch had met another in person? Maybe he could use some social interaction. And fun!

The green male let his solid form relax and take on a more casual pose. His face contorted into an evil, mischievous smile that reached his non-visible ears.

"Why...hello there...little girl…" he said slowly, and Brittany could hear the raw amusement laced within his words. Little did he know that she was in no mood to be taunted and teased. Not in _this_ place; not after she climbed a damn mountain.

"H-hello Mr. Grinch…!" She stuttered quietly. She lifted her shaking hand in a small wave, then dropped it to fiddle with her fingers, as she did when nervous.

The Grinch took a cautious step forward, paused, then crossed the distance in a fast pace until their noses almost touched. Brittany lurched back in surprise, almost falling over in the process. The other's smile grew in retaliation.

"And who might _you_ be?" He questioned smoothly. Oh, he was enjoying her shaken look indeed.

Brittany took a breath and tried to conceal the bitter cold that nipped at her from every angle. She suddenly felt very envious of his thick green fur.

"My name's Brittany. I've…" another breath. "I've come for help. Please."

The Grinch leaned back and studied her pleading face. As far as he knew, this was all a trick for him to be a part of Whoville at all. For them to get him to, dare he say it, _like_ Christmas. Deceptions and lies from a random Who was not on his agenda for today! Suddenly the Grinch felt that he wanted her gone rather than stay to be his new entertainment.

"Oh…? Help? From little old _me?"_ He played along, touching his furry chest with delicate fingertips.

"My dear Brittany, as much as I'd like to ask just _why_ you've chosen me to," he made a gagging sound. _"Help_ you; I don't care. Now run along back down where you came from and ask your fellow _Who's_ for that sort of thing." With that, he turned away from her and began to rummage through the trash, calling to Max for assistance. Brittany clenched her fists.

"Look, I didn't scale this entire mountain just to be turned away. Besides, I'll die if I try to make another trip in this cold!" The Grinch rolled his eyes.

"Exactly. Go for it, kid."

"Wha - no!" She paused and covered herself with her arms. "I'm not from here, Grinch. And not just from this town. From this _world._ I was...transported here somehow, and I have no idea how to get back!

"Boohoo for you, cry me a river!" The furred Who slunk a bag stuffed with garbage over his shoulder and began his walk back to the cave, Max following in tow with a bag of his own hanging from his teeth. Brittany quickly followed suit.

"W-Wait! Please, give me a chance-"

"Nope."

"You're the _only_ one that can help-" Her constant pestering was beginning to get on his nerves quite a bit. First, lies about being from another world _entirely._ Next, poking and prodding to see if he'd change his mind! Ugh, he was more than glad that he lived away from these bothersome Who's. Gritting his teeth, he spun around to face Brittany like before, but now pointing an accusing green finger into her face.

"Listen here, kid, and listen good. I, the terrible and TERRIFYING Grinch, do not _help_ any of you petty, twinkle-toed Who's! It's nothing but trouble!" He dropped his sack to make mocking kissy faces and heart symbols, clearly pouring his distaste for Whoville into them.

"Always spreading their Christmas JOY and sharing their glee and happiness! Ugh!" He then made a gagging sound.

"And their Who-feats and Who-bilations and their noisy Who-whatsits and Who-whosits! I'll throw up if I hear another one of those!" Brittany cocked her head to one side in confusion.

"Wha - _look._ I'm not here to spread any s-stupid Christmas cheer. Or...do any of that other stuff y-you said." The cold was getting to her, but the only one to take notice was Max. He began to whine while the Grinch ignored him completely, evidently caught up in his rant.

"You see, I'm smart, girl. I _know_ you Who's! I've been up here watching you all for years!" He dashed towards her for the _third_ time now, so close that Brittany could feel his breath. She could only watch with wide eyes as he practically had a psycho tantrum in front of her.

"You're petty little _lies_ won't work on me. No, they won't, because if you didn't notice, I'm a genius! And _this_ genius won't be deceived by any SPY they send up here to coax me down into being one of _them!"_ While he continued his egotistical monologue, Brittany suddenly felt dizzy and sluggish. It seemed that her second burst of energy had run out. What was the Grinch talking about again? Something about how great he was? She had no idea, except that she felt the feeling of falling before her body slammed into the snowy ground in a heap, vision turning black.

Max hadn't realized that something was wrong with her in the first place, but now the intelligent dog knew that she was in genuine danger.

His oblivious owner paid no mind to the body on the ground, or his dog's whimpering beside the body. Now becoming frustrated, the animal barked instead to gain his comrade's attention. Fortunately, it worked.

"What is it, Max?! Can't you see I'm-" the Grinch's sentence was cut short by spinning around to the sight in front of him. He seemed to snap out of his trance then, the adrenaline running through his system dying down. Max's tail wagged with anticipation as his owner came close and crouched down to genuinely inspect the girl's body for once.

Her clothes were entirely not appropriate for traveling to the top of a mountain. They had absorbed quite a bit of the snow, and therefore they were soaked completely. The Grinch laid a hand on her shoulder to roll her onto her back, cringing by instinct at how chilled she felt.

Her expression was of slight pain, making it very apparent that her passing out all of a sudden was not normal. Furthermore, her fingertips were slightly bloody - probably from climbing without gloves - and the tips of her ears and nose were a vibrant red, almost blue.

It didn't take much of a brain to know that something was incredibly wrong.

The Grinch knew that she needed to get someplace warm fast before he'd have to deal with a dead body. However, just because he knew it _should_ be done never meant he _wanted_ it to be done. He only didn't want any _Who_ company in his own home! He knew once she wakes up she'd spread her disgusting Christmas joy all over the place!

But once he thought about it, there _was_ a mystery going on here. The Who's were far too kind to send their own up to his domain - underdressed, might he add - to spread some Christmas cheer. To be so cruel and let this girl freeze to death at his feet was most certainly not like them. Now the Grinch was intrigued, squinting at her form.

She looked far too thin to be a Who. Not only that but most kids her age would've grown into their noses by now. This girl's hadn't even started to mature in the slightest. He knew of late bloomers, but this was ridiculous! Furthermore, to top it off, her attire, in general, seemed far different than that of what Whoville offered. A sweater of some kind with odd head pictures on them? And what were those words etched onto it? _"I need more space?"_ How strange. Her hair wasn't even up like most Who's had it!

The more the Grinch stared and thought, he felt an inkling of truth come out of her words from before. Maybe this was worth exploring. His schedule was the same every day, after all.

Max snapped him out of his thoughts by barking again. The other scowled and shot a glare at his companion, suddenly finding his stubbornness taking over. He quickly reverted to his original idea to leave her out here, seeing it disgraceful that he almost went against what his incredibly small heart stood for by thinking of bringing her in.

"I know she's hurt, Max! I'm not an idiot!" He stood up and crossed his arms with disdain when the dog growled in retaliation.

"No, I'm not going to do that! You must've lost your mind for you even to _consider_ it! Bring her with _us?_ To the Grinch's lair? Where I'll coddle her and nurse her back to health like some babysitting _nanny?_ Where have the years worth of knowledge about the Who's being our _enemies_ I drilled into your head gone?!" He then bent down to pick up both of their garbage sacks.

"I'm disappointed in you, Max! I taught you better than this! Besides, if she wanted help, she could've gone to Whoville."

As the Grinch began to walk away without a care, Max growled and lunged forward to take a rather large chunk of his green friend's behind into his mouth, biting down. The Who immediately dropped the sacks yelp in pain before running around in circles to try and pry Max off.

"MAX! Let go of me now! That's not a chew toy! Max!" The next minute was spent filling the mountains' silence with grunts of anger, pain, and an animal's growls. At last, it came to an end when the Grinch gave up trying to fight.

"ALRIGHT Max, I'll take her with us! Now _get off! Now!"_ The said dog yipped with glee and quickly let go of the fur and flesh between his jaws. The Grinch rubbed his backside and twitched his nose with annoyance before reluctantly trudging his way back to the girl that was still very much unconscious.

"I don't even know why I keep you around if all you do is provide terrible company and put your mouth where it shouldn't," he grumbled to himself, but Max heard anyway and gave something that of a sheepish grin.

By now, snow had collected a considerable amount across the brunette's body. The girl was as still as a rock and would have been seen as dead to anyone else. But the Grinch knew better by the small puffs of air that came from her mouth in very rapid motions; too rapid to be healthy. The sight wasn't something he was entirely used to now that he looked at her fallen form once more. Teen Who's that came up to his home to be bothersome never ended up looking as quite... _dead_ as this by the time they reached the top of the mountain. Then again, they all usually took the garbage dump, while this girl had scaled it entirely, as she said. What a dumb idea.

However, despite how much he rolled his eyes at her actions, The Grinch couldn't deny the _strange_ feeling he experienced when he picked her up into his arms bridal style. A small twinge in his chest; a pull of his heartstrings, if you will. She was as cold as snow itself, the iciness of her body making him shiver. And, as much as he hated to admit it, her condition quite scared him. The Grinch was someone that hated Who's and Christmas with a burning passion. However, even he had standards. It was fun to yell insults to the town below from the cliff by his front door, or trip passersby when "visiting." But did that fun include watching someone _die_ from harsh conditions in front of him? Half of him wanted to say yes; to add that in his moral system, but the other half wondered if that was going too far.

He interrupted his thoughts to demand Max grab her things, and that they'd come back for the garbage afterward. That was another thing, the rebel Who suddenly thought. Why did she have luggage with her like she was ready to go on vacation? Things were not adding up.

It didn't take long at all for them to reach the front door. The Grinch had to try and maneuver the body in his arms so it wouldn't hit the frame while walking in, which, by the way, happened three times already. Max yapped at his owner for being so careless, and the other waved him off with a hand before dropped it quickly to hold her upright before she could fall.

"Whatever, Max. If she could survive climbing a mountain, then she can survive _this_ abuse!" The Grinch looked around his cave for a place to put her down and soon settled on his lounging sofa chair he used to relax in. Practically dumping her in it, he let out another dramatic sigh before getting work to bring her back to health. Now he remembered why he didn't like to care about others, not including himself; it was _far_ too much work.

—

Ahh, I was both so excited and nervous to write this! I really hoped that I captured the Grinch's character. He's just a super grumpy guy, but also so loud and lively with everything he does and says. It's a great mix, and definitely creates a super lovable anti-hero character. I find it hilarious that Whoville is so scared of The Grinch when all he really does is shake a fist in anger and trip people on the road. It's stupidly, heartwarmingly dumb, and that reasoning - that The Grinch could never be a true villain and that he cares deep inside - will lead to Brittany agreeing to some fun shenanigans in the future! There's no harm in spitballs, right?

Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3: A Convinced Decision

Brittany woke slowly, her eyes struggling open. She felt a draft of cool air hit her and pulled the blanket closer to her body to keep warm. Wait, blanket? When did she get that?

Now alert, she couldn't quite believe it. The dim lighting within the cave didn't hurt her eyes when they snapped open to scan her surroundings. Just like in the movie, funky looking contraptions lined the walls as well as lied around the area, hissing steam or rotating their ridiculously large cogs to resume whatever purpose they served. They emitted a low drone to fill the silence of the room, and she found it calming.

The blanket around her smelled slightly of mildew, but it wasn't enough to cringe. Once she unwrapped it from herself, she noticed how her fingers were covered in gauze, which were badly wrapped, might she add. The brunette wiggled around to sit up straight and noticed that her clothes were damp now instead of soaked like before. However, that didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable in them. When she thought about it, though, the girl didn't find much room to complain. It would've been awkward if she learned that her savior had changed her while she was vulnerable. Wait, savior? She never thought about it! That meant…!

Brittany's lips grew into a grin quite quickly, and she bit her lip in excitement. The Grinch had let her in! But...how? Why? She knew that his heart was far too small, and that meant he didn't care about anyone but himself and possibly Max. What made him take her, a stranger, into his own home and even go as far as to fix her up, give her a blanket, and give her his chair to sleep on? He could very well have let her die out there, or brought her in but dumped her into a corner somewhere.

Now curious, Brittany looked around for the certain green Who on her mind. Every part of the cave looked devoid of life, and the young adult wondered if he and Max had left completely for some matter or another. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard a door open far off into the distance not long after. Some yelling and barking ensued before the door slammed closed heavily. The sounds died down as they came closer, but then the scraping of claws against the floor were heard. Brittany quickly pondered if she should pretend to be asleep or to stay up and meet them again. She chose the latter after thinking for a moment; it would be embarrassing to have the Grinch find out she was pretending. It was better to greet them head on, she thought.

So when Max scampered over to the sofa chair and rested his paws on one of the arms to prop himself up, a human hand lifted to let him smell her scent properly for the first time. At first, Max was ecstatic that she was awake, but when her hand lifted, his ears shifted back slightly in alarm. Brittany noticed this and gave the dog a warm smile. The animal cocked his head to one side, one ear flopping over. How cute!

He leaned in slowly to sniff her hand hesitantly, and when he deemed her no threat, his tail began to wag violently. High pitched yips and whines came from his mouth, and he sprinted around the chair in excitement before pausing to lick her shoes or hand every couple seconds. Brittany giggled softly and gently ran a hand over his head to calm him down.

"Hello, Max. It's nice to meet you."

She continued her movements when, suddenly, a shadow loomed over her and the chair from behind. A flash of fear ran through her for a moment as the girl slowly tilted her head back to look at the figure.

Once again, that same piercing yellow gaze met her curious brown one. The Grinch's furry form towered over her sitting one, a slight frown etched onto his green face. It was amazing how easily he could win a staring contest; his stare was intimidating and forced Brittany to break eye contact for a second.

"Hello, Mr. Grinch," Brittany greeted him to break the uncomfortable silence. The Who didn't respond for a moment, instead searching her eyes for something, it seemed. At last, he stepped back but rounded the chair like a predator stalking their prey.

"Hello, dear _Brittany._ Have a good nap?" Brittany nodded in response, trying her best not to feel anxious. Would he kick her out? Humiliate her?

The Grinch seemed to notice her fears and grinned mischievously.

"Oh _please_ , calm down. I'm not going to throw you back out into that _wretched_ cold. Well…" he stepped closer, hands neatly folded behind his back. "...not _yet."_ He leaned in close.

"I just want to ask you some... _questions,"_ he finished by tapping her nose with a fingertip to emphasize the last word gleefully. With that, he stepped back and called to Max.

"NOW, MAX!" Before Brittany's fight or flight response could kick in, every light within the cave flickered off. All was dark for a moment except for the few beams of moonlight that filtered through the cracks on the ceiling, and then the blinding white light shining straight at her.

The Grinch glared at his guest's squinting face, her hand covering her eyes to block the intense ray. A second more, and he moved the point of focus somewhere else. Brittany sighed in relief, but still squinted just incase he decided to flash it straight into her line of sight again. Instead of doing so, he rested the odd looking flashlight below his chin to create a spooky atmosphere, the harsh shadows and highlights greatly intensifying his Cheshire cat-like grin.

If this was supposed to frighten Brittany, she actually found it difficult to feel so. Before, the circumstances were just right for her to wonder what her fate would behold. Now though, the Grinch had accidentally taken all fears and what-if's away by acting as some kind of 1920's interrogator from a comedy show. His tactic fell quickly from serious to humorous, and the girl failed to stifle a chuckle.

"Ah, trying to cover up your _fear_ with humor, hmm?~" The Grinch assumed smoothly with a dangerous glint in his eye. "Nice try, kid, but that won't work now that you're in the _Grinch's LAIR!"_ His arms were thrown up into the air for some extra enthusiasm, and Brittany wondered, what this a kidnapping of sorts or a show?

The flashlight quickly resumed its position under the Who's face as he circled around the chair once more.

"Now, answer me this, _Brittany,_ and tell the truth this time _:_ Why did you scamper your way up here from Whoville?" Brittany felt the need to stick to her original answer, as lying with a more sensible one would land her fate here forever.

"I've already told you this before. I came here because I knew you'd be the perfect person to help me get home to my world.

The other let out a drawled out groan, already frustrated with her. "Not _this_ again! At first I thought you might've hit your head climbing your way up here, but now I see that I was right!"

With her mind racing, suddenly Brittany's head hatched an idea. "N-No, I can prove it to you!" A few examples came to mind, but she decided to start with herself first.

"Look at me! Does my body look like a Who's? My _nose?_ Absolutely not!" A rush of triumph flashed through her when she noticed the Grinch's smug demeanor begin to falter. At last, the tables were turning.

"You're just a late bloomer!" He tried to justify.

"But am I _really,_ Grinch? No one had ever heard of a Who maturing _this_ late; have _you?"_

To be quite honest, Brittany herself actually _did_ know of a Who that never did quite grow into her nose properly: Martha May Who. However, while _she_ knew this, the Grinch did not. How could he have known when the last time he ventured down there was _years_ ago? And even if he did visit the town before she arrived here, that never meant he specifically looked for Martha. But, just to be safe, Brittany kept going before her interrogator could somehow know himself; that is, if he ever did.

"And my clothes! Do they look like any casual wear that town could sell? You bring me my suitcase and I'll show you other articles of clothing that are also different from your culture."

The Grinch didn't need to flash the light on her to see her attire; he got a good look at it when she was half dead at his feet not too long ago. The smug smile of her own told him that she _knew_ she was winning, and little did she know, she _was._ The clever girl was listing everything that he noticed before, and he felt those feelings arise again. She _was_ strange, that was for sure. His thoughts were cut short when she opened her mouth to further convince him, he assumed.

"And another thing: when was the last time you got a book containing all of the Who's names within Whoville?"

The Grinch furrowed his bushy eyebrows together in utter confusion. Where was she going with this?

"Two weeks ago," he started hesitantly. "I always like to keep an updated version of the book listing the people I hate." Brittany was nervous that _she_ was the one interrogating now, but kept going to try and make him see the point she was trying to make.

"I'm twenty one years old. If that book is as accurate as it's supposed to be, I should be listed in it. In fact, I should have been listed in it in the _last couple_ versions as well."

Speechless, the Grinch stared at this possible _thing_ sitting in his own chair with a taunting smile across her lips. His mind reeled, trying to come up with _any_ explanation for this, but none came. This was because he knew. The last time he read all of the names within Whoville in the last and most recent addition, hers was nowhere to be seen.

She was toying with him in his own home. This girl was smart, he had to give her that, but at this moment it was not appreciated. It was almost like she knew all about Whoville despite her possibly not being a part of it in the first place.

The male growled with anger and flashed the light straight into her eyes again, making her wince.

"Be quiet already! Are _you_ the one asking the questions here?! Huh?! No!"

"Hey, you asked! I'm only trying to answer!"

"The last time I checked, _debating_ isn't answering!"

"Because it's more complicated than that! I know that this entire story is crazy; I'm still trying to figure it out myself!"

"So you _were_ making it up!"

"I wasn't! What I mean is that I'm wondering how a damn portal came out of nowhere and sucked me into another world entirely!" The Grinch snorted.

"A portal? What even is that?"

"It's a - look, I'm not going to go into the science of it all because that's not necessary right now." She paused and sighed. "I just…I just need a place to stay, Mr. Grinch." The brunette gently laid a hand upon the flashlight and pushed it down so it wasn't shining on her face. Giving him pleading eyes, she continued.

"I know I could've went to Whoville, but I knew they would've written me off as some child spouting nonsense. Not only that, but I don't think there's a better inventor here than you. _You_ can help me create some kind of device! _You'd_ understand!" She paused. "Or...at least, I _thought_ you'd understand." She'd never admit to him the _main_ reason why she came up here. It would be far too embarrassing to say out loud, oh that was for sure. To tell him that she actually just wanted to be a bit selfish and claim him as _her_ being his first friend as well as give him the social interaction he was starved from sounded too mushy for him to understand. _She_ wanted to be the one to help him through his troubles. To be the Band-Aid on the wound that never seemed to heal; the wound that led him to isolate himself for years. The trauma he went through as a child led the poor green Who to believe that he was not wanted by anyone. Therefore, simply asking to be his friend or even begging at his feet to stay wouldn't work. She'd have to work to dig deep into what little of a heart he had left and fill that empty void.

"But...that doesn't matter right now _either,_ does it? Because plans change sometimes, and in those situations, you need to prepare, right?" She spoke with a nervous laugh before the Grinch could respond, and instead he simply jutted out his chin and lip in confusion at her words.

"What if I told you that we could be, ah, I dunno, partners in crime? Or...something like that?" Her anxiousness shined through again as she spoke her proposition, slightly panicked that she didn't think how this would go down. The Grinch lifted an eyebrow and shifted closer.

"Partners in crime, hmm?" He stood up and paced slightly in the darkness, a finger stroking his chin in thought. "A new person to help me spread _evil_ across Whoville? To hate the Who's and Whoville _alike?_ To pull me from the dark abyss that is my crippling loneliness and boredom?" He chewed his nails as he murmured to himself. "A new person to-" He stopped himself when another possibility came to mind, but it seemed too good to be true to even say it out loud. However, he decided to get an answer anyway.

"Tell me Brittany, how do you feel about _Christmas_?" The Who inquired, uncharacteristically quiet. He studied her face closely after shining the light on her again, never breaking eye contact.

Brittany was surprised that he bought her proposal. She felt especially lucky that she already had a bargain for him regarding that same question. Maybe _this_ would be what he needed to hear to let her stay. A friend. Company that felt that same as him. It would require lying, but if it was what she had to say in order to get her way, so be it.

The girl scoffed, cocking an eyebrow. "Christmas? _That_ disgusting holiday?" She crossed her arms. "Not the biggest fan; why?" She acted clueless to see his reaction. Fortunately, she got one when the Grinch's previous smile grew onto his lips again.

"No reason." He circled the chair. "And the _Who's? Whoville?_ How do you feel about them?"

Brittany tilted her head in thought, deciding to test the boundaries now. If she agreed to hate everything that the Grinch hated, he might see that something was up. "They seem like kind people based on what I saw when I landed here. The town is nice itself too; well kept." Seeming satisfied with her balanced out answers, she looked to the Grinch for a response. At first, he stopped and thought, but then shrugged.

"Eh, good enough for me. MAX!" The lights flickered back on again, and the green Who marched back in front of the chair and planted his hands on his hips.

"It's good that you hate Christmas like I do, missy! Otherwise you'd be out in the snow again, cold and waiting for death!" The girl gulped at this, a chill running down her spine. Good thing she had lied somewhat.

"So I can stay?!" Brittany asked excitedly after, and the Grinch rolled his yellow eyes with a hint of a smirk.

"I... _suppose_ you can stay for a few nights and _loathe_ Christmas with me. Besides, I could use some social interaction with someone other than that mangy mutt over there." A long green finger pointed to the said canine. Max's ears shifted back in offense, a growl and a whine coming from him.

"Oh hush up Max! At least _she_ doesn't slobber everywhere!" He then whipped around to face his new roommate. "You don't do that, right?" Brittany giggled.

"I'm not sure that any self respecting person _would."_ The Grinch grinned.

"EXACTLY! See, Max?!"

An argument then broke out between the two. It was interesting to see them understand each other without confusion. Probably from living together for so long.

Brittany hummed and sat back in the chair to listen with amusement. Gently fiddling with the gauze on her fingertips, she wondered. If the Grinch was so bad, as everyone said, why did he save her?

She had a clue or two but kept it to herself as a smile played on her lips. As long as she was stuck here, at least she'd have company.


	4. Chapter 4: Shopping with Mind Chaos

Somewhere in the midst of Brittany's new roommate and his dog _still_ arguing despite the obvious language difference, the girl had already hopped out of the chair to stretch her aching muscles. It appeared that she had been asleep for quite some time, as her legs gave out for a moment when she tried to stand upright. Gasping, she gripped one of the arms of the worn out chair for support and rested for a moment to allow for proper blood flow.

The Grinch ceased his quarrel with Max for a moment to turn his head to the sound behind him. Oh, yes, he almost forgot that he had a guest!

"How long have I been out for?" He heard her ask, honey brown eyes narrowing in concentration as she tested some weight on her legs. The green Who watched her struggle for a moment, eyeing her movements as she began to relax and stretch, bones popping in the process. She looked much healthier now, and for some strange reason, that fact made him feel relieved. However, saying he was relieved would imply that he was _worried_ for her while she was passed out cold for a full day, and the mere _thought_ of that made him gag inside. This girl was nothing but a delusional lost Who...thing (even if she definitely didn't seem like it. The Whos were so much more jolly, and this girl was so... _not_. He'd have to ask about this later.). He decided he was relieved that she was now healthy simply because he could kick her out sooner, and they'd never have to see each other again. Yes, that was it!

Quite pleased in his reassuring of himself that he wasn't becoming _soft_ , or something disgusting like that, the male responded to her question finally.

"Long enough for you to not look dead anymore," he goaded with a nonchalant smirk and shoulders hunching upwards in a shrug. Brittany glared at his teasing, lips tight.

"Is this how every conversation is going to go while I'm here? You poking fun at my potential _death_?" She replied in irritation, sighing as she cracked her neck. The Grinch dismissed her with a hand wave.

"You act like that's a bad thing. You're _not_ dead because _I_ saved you, which means I'm allowed to "poke fun" as much as I want!"

Realizing she was going to get nowhere with the practical man-child in front of her, the girl instead rolled her eyes and sighed. If he wanted to be childish about it, then fine.

"Just tell me how much time has passed," she firmly asked again with a sniffle, rubbing a temple with her fingers. She wondered if she'd ever get to have a real conversation with the Who without his lack of manners getting in the way.

The Grinch pouted, his lip jutting out comically as he crossed his arms. "Humph! Ungrateful _and_ sassy! I should throw you back out into the snow right now!" He threatened, but Brittany could sense a large amount of bluffing coming from him.

"Alright, alright," she backed down with a sigh. "Thank you for saving me, really, and letting me stay in your home for a while." She paused for a moment, then side-smiled. "It's an honor to be graced with your presence," she finished, sugarcoating her words with a bow. The Grinch felt better now, happy that he got the recognition he so deserved, and visibly relaxed. Wow, she really had to bend over backwards for this guy, huh?

"That's more like it!" He replied, straightened his back, then answered her question after waiting for a moment.

"You've been out cold for a day." Brittany nodded slowly, letting that register into her mind. A day, huh?

"That makes sense, I guess," she said, mostly to herself as she inspected her crudely bandaged fingers. The wrappings were slightly bloody, but they'd be good for a couple more hours. She'd just rewrap them herself when the time came - it was quite obvious that the Grinch didn't know much about proper first aid. Sure, he had lived alone for years, but it didn't seem like he got hurt a lot; if he did, mediocre wrapping probably sufficed. Or, maybe he knew first aid quite well, but just didn't care to give her careful treatment. She was still a stranger to him, after all.

Noticing how the brunette now stared at her fingertips, the green Who took a step forward to inspect them as well. "Of course it makes sense! You've should've seen yourself! All passed out in the snow, fingers bloody and as cold as ice." He squinted. "What a stupid idea that was, climbing up the mountain by yourself. Did you _want_ to die? You know there's a garbage shoot down there, right?" His nose twitched in annoyance, looking down at her like she was the dumbest person alive. Brittany cocked an eyebrow at him while fiddling with the wrapping.

"Yeah, I saw it. What does that have to do with anything?" Brittany asked with a sniffle and looked up into his eyes, pretending to be intrigued. Of course she knew there was a shoot down there, and what it was for, but why would she tell him that if she was supposed to keep up her ignorant facade?

"Well, I use the one up here when I need to... _visit_ that wretched town," he grimaced when speaking about the place, nose scrunching. "And I use the one down there to get up here. Simple."

Brittany tapped a finger to her chin in thought. This could definitely be used to her advantage. Easy access to the city meant easy living! If the plan was to live here for the time being, she refused the idea of scrounging around for a comfortable lifestyle with god knows _what_ lied around. A bolt of excitement struck her upon the thought of entering that welcoming town and buying (more like stealing, now that she thought about it. She had no currency and the Grinch wouldn't want her abiding by the law anyway.) a mattress and some blankets, because there was no way she was going to spend her nights sleeping in that "precious" recliner her new roommate so generously ( _reluctantly_ , actually) let her rest in. Not only was it springy, but she was sure that it hadn't been cleaned _once_. That chair should've been labeled a disease ridden abomination in her book.

She was going to get a proper bed, and that was that. Well, not completely, but she didn't know that yet.

"Oh, I'm sure it _is_ simple," the small adult replied, dropping the facade act for a moment and ignoring the fact that The Grinch used a _garbage shoot_ as transportation. "I think it'll be nice to go down there soon and get some things-" Her sentence was cut short by a shout.

"NO! Absolutely not!" The green Who exclaimed, his yellow eyes wide and piercing into her soul like before when he interrogated her. Brittany shrunk slightly under his gaze, feeling that twinge of fear from before licking her insides.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because!" He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away with a pout, his intimidating presence suddenly diminishing. "They're...they're The Who's!" His chin lifted high in an almost parental way. "I won't have any _partner in crime_ of mine be tainted by their jolly goody-two-shoes _Christmas spirit!"_ Before Brittany could respond, the Grinch swiveled on his heel and marched off, hands folded neatly behind his back. He looked like he held authority, but the scraggly appearance of both him and his home didn't do him any justice regarding him looking like a gentleman. No, he was far from that.

Brittany blinked and took off after him, a cocky smirk painting her lips.

"Aww, you care about me! How cute," she teased, and the Grinch rolled his yellow eyes dramatically.

"Correction, sweetie: I don't care about _you._ The simple fact is that if you're gonna live _with_ me you're gonna live _like_ me." He rounded a corner rather speedily just to be the ass that he was, causing the girl to push her wobbly legs harder to catch up with him. The green Who felt a glare to the back of his head and he smirked at the small revenge.

Under this annoyance, however, the brunette tagging along giggled intrinsically as she found a lie in his words. If he never cared, as he said, why did he do all the things he did? It was clear as day that The Grinch saved her life, even going as far as to patch her up (he never had to go that far, really. Bleeding out from scraped fingertips was laughable.). There was something going on within the midst of this new relationship, and Brittany was pretty sure that it would be easy to get answers soon with how the Who tended to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Then again, maybe that was just too simple. It could be possible that there _was_ a smidgen of compassion within what you could even call a heart resting in his ribcage like she theorized, or maybe he was building up her trust just to rip everything to shreds right in front of her eyes with an evil cackle. It sent shivers down her spine.

Quickly reminding herself that she was in a _family friendly_ movie (movies that always have _happy endings_ ), a breath she didn't know she was holding in released. Things _had_ to go well, the girl reassured herself. The story would begin and end, and the Grinch would have an enlightenment sported by a new heart. There wouldn't be any trouble. She hoped.

God, she hated overthinking things.

"You do realize that it's not ideal to live in _garbage_ though, right?" They neared the front door and the tall male sneered at her.

"Not completely! Everything you've laid eyes on has been _handcrafted_ from the dump. If I can make do up here, then so will you. Besides," he rested his hand on the door handle. "Using their garbage is easier than going all the way down for things. Not to mention If I went down there I'd have to... _talk_ to them. Be around them!" A shiver ran down his spine and he imitated a gag. "If going down there isn't for pranks and the like, then it's not practical!" Brittany snorted with amusement and blindly followed him through the door to the outside world, ignoring the heavy chill that overtook her body once again. Great. If her current attire didn't do justice to her freezing body before, what good would it do now that it was stiff and damp from the melted snow? That's right, absolutely nothing. She might as well drop dead right there.

Instead, she pushed on, once again growing jealous of Who in front of her that was covered in luscious, warm fur. A frown etched onto her lips as she hugged her torso and hunched over slightly to contain some of the body heat. The girl then realized that she'd have to battle the cold constantly. She didn't see many heaters spread around what areas of the cave she had seen so far, probably because The Grinch's fur took care of that easily. Some changes would have to be made immediately if she were to survive. Sniffling, the girl mindlessly wiped her nose with the back of a hand.

"Any reason why we have to go back out here? Because I distinctly remember DYING in this place not too long ago!" Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, but it was long enough to still whip around in the breeze and smack her in the face. She growled and threw the piece back over a shoulder.

"Oh, be quiet! You were fine, don't overreact!" The Grinch replied, but all the while remembered that she most certainly _wasn't_ fine.

"Overreacting?!" Brittany exclaimed, running her hands up and down her arms. "I _passed out_! That's not normal!"

Maybe it was the cold whipping around him, or the power memories had, but The Grinch's hands still remembered the feeling of her stone cold flesh against them. His face twisted into a grimace. She was right, but he'd never admit to that. He never admitted to anyone.

"It's not a big deal! You didn't _die,_ so forget about it already!" His patience on the subject was starting to run thin with him becoming bothered by the image of the pale, half dead body that was burned into his mind. Could it have been that The Grinch actually cared, just a smidgen, about another? Or was it just the pure morbidity of it all? The latter, yes, it had to be that!

Suffering snorkel blatz! It hadn't even been a full day of this girl being awake and he was already questioning himself! Not to mention that they just met!

Now in a bad mood, the green Who stomped over the snow covered rock, not answering when Brittany repeated her question of why they were out here again. The young adult silenced herself, seeming to notice his sudden change in mood, and only followed silently. She watched The Grinch slide down a small drop off with ease like he had done it countless times before. He probably had, Brittany noted, and wondered if she could pull it off as graceful as him or get a facefull of snow. Deciding the latter would happen, the girl carefully picked her way down instead, sniffling.

"Damn cold...I'll be _actually_ dead by the time we get back," Brittany muttered to herself, but secretly hoped that the green Who heard her anyway. She guaranteed he hadn't though, considering how he was already waiting for her at garbage pile, and her still trudging along from behind.

"Hurry up slowpoke, I haven't got all night!" The Grinch called out over the wind, fingers rapping against his crossed arms impatiently. The petite brunette groaned in acknowledgement, too sour herself to reply even remotely decently.

She arrived at his side only a few moments after, body quaking and cheeks as red as berries.

"Alright, w-why are we here?" The girl murmured, her chilled breaths coming out in visible puffs, and The Grinch felt a twist of sick superiority in regards to her shaking form.

"Well," he stated firmly. "Here's the dump, as you saw it yesterday. This'll be your new supermarket from now on, so you better get used to it unless you want to live down there with those goodie-two-shoes." The male jabbed a thumb behind a broad shoulder to Whoville far below. His eyes narrowed as they glared into hers, seeming to test the girl incase she tried to question his authority and rules. He didn't like how she gazed in awe at the village, and how she mentioned before that she wanted to buy things from there. The Who made a mental note to show her just how bad the Whos could be, not matter how quirky and fun they looked on the outside.

Brittany took notice of his warning and nodded, making a mental note of her own to plan out how she'd convince him to let her get supplies from Whoville anyway. She knew he wanted nothing to do with the place, but there was no way she'd live precisely how he did: scraggly, unkept, and smelly.

"Everything you'll ever need will be here. As I said before, if you gonna live _with_ me, you're gonna live _like_ me." He leaned in close, and his bushy eyebrows furrowed.

"So that means no funny business, young lady! You chose to become my new sidekick, and sidekicks live like the hero's, right? Exactly!" The Grinch stood up straight, looking proud of his metaphor.

"R-Right…" Brittany shivered in response, wanting to argue the possibility of well needed toiletries, but didn't want to go against his words just yet. She'd find a way to get what she wanted, eventually. However, for now, it was apparent she required something to sleep on. It was too cold to stay out there longer and make a neat little list of other things to take. Her suitcase could provide the majority, and the girl silently thanked her past self for packing more than needed.

"I'll n-need a bed," the petite brunette stuttered, not even knowing where to start looking in the large pile of garbage. The Grinch hummed in thought whilst grabbing some old cogs for himself, probably for an invention or maintenance. He spared her a glance around the pile before his gaze landed onto an old mattress stuck under some junk.

"There's one right there. Have fun!" Without another word, the male stood up straight with the cogs resting in his arms and began to stroll back to the cave's entrance. Brittany halted in her tracks, blood running cold, and that only made the chill washing over her even worse.

"Wait! Y-You brought me down here a-and you're not even g-gonna help?!" She blurted and whipped around to face the Who who simply cocked an eyebrow, playing the clueless card. That ass.

"What? My arms are full, and yours aren't. You can carry that yourself!"

Brittany's blood boiled now, even though his words were true. "I'm freezing here!"

"You didn't have to follow me, you know."

"You clearly hinted t-that you wanted me to when you walked towards the door!"

"Hm, really?"

"Oh my god, forget it," the girl groaned, taking in a breath before stepping over an old lamp to reach her to-be bed. She had to keep reminding herself that The Grinch wasn't a person that spent his time practicing humanity, manners, and the like. To think that there had already been two small quarrels in less than an hour was astounding to her, not to mention draining. For a moment or two, Brittany questioned why she even decided to take refuge with the Asshole Grinch.

Oh, yeah. Because of her own selfish desires to be the band-aid to his long term wounds. It was fangirlish, and she had no idea if it would screw up the storyline, but hey, he could also help get her home, so that second reason kind of balanced everything out.

The girl continued to think and work as The Grinch turned with a hum and left her to her own devices. The green Who knew he was being cruel, but could only blame himself slightly. He wasn't fond of company, not matter what kind it was, so it shouldn't have been surprising to see him treat her the way he had been. He liked being alone. Even when he was a child, The Grinch didn't taking kindly to many. Then again, the poor boy never had a chance to put himself out there to begin with. From the moment he was placed in society the only acknowledgement he ever received was of disgust. Hatred. Fear, even, and it stayed that way up until the present. The constant pestering, sneering, and ridicule cut a hole into his heart, one full of betrayal and anger. Of course, the child had been a little gremlin since birth, which greatly contributed to the lack of friendliness, but he remembered making an effort towards Martha May, and even _that_ was destroyed.

He hated the Whos. He hated Whoville. He hated their jolly culture and what it stood for. He hated how sugarcoated their society was on the outside, and how their morals were so twisted and full of discrimination towards someone that was different.

It was disgraceful, he decided as he stared down at Whoville with a glare that could kill. Their gentle melodies drifted up from their hearts, but The Grinch felt that they never came from that place.

He found himself becoming so angry and vengeful living up on Mount Crumpit, coexisting with the ridicules that bounced around his skull every day, but oh, becoming so very lonely as well. Max sufficed but...he couldn't shake the want of true interaction.

Maybe that was why he took Brittany in, The Grinch wondered, with his gaze still locked onto the village but his mind elsewhere. Maybe he longed for the time when she would wake up so he could have an _actual_ conversation with another person without having to hide his face behind a mask and cloak. Maybe he was scared she would die because of what little compassion he had left. Maybe having a sidekick, a partner in crime, wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he _needed_ this.

The grouchy Who grunted in his throat, furrowing his eyebrows and wrinkling his nose in frustration. On the other hand, this girl could be lying! She could have come straight from Whoville (despite her lack of name in his phonebook) and ventured up to his home to be a nuisance. It could all be a one huge ruse, and the thought made him boil with anger.

To add onto the list of contradictions, there was also the fact that everything about her was not Who-like, all the way down to her very physical figure.

" _Look at me! Does my body look like a Who's? My_ nose _? Absolutely not!"_

The Grinch growled through his teeth.

" _Because it's more complicated than that! I know that this entire story is crazy; I'm still trying to figure it out myself!"_

" _So you_ were _making it up!"_

" _I wasn't! What I mean is that I'm wondering how a damn portal came out of nowhere and sucked me into another world entirely!"_

The Grinch stomped his foot into the snow, gripping the cogs in his arms so tightly they could snap. He still wondered what she meant by "how a damn portal came out of nowhere and sucked me into another world entirely!" He did ask, he recalled, but she stopped herself to plead mercy. It just didn't add up! Nothing did!

He send one last hard glare to Whoville below before swiftly turning around to stomp into his cave, slamming the door shut behind him.

Meanwhile, Brittany had finally reached the mattress after tripping on seemingly invisible things along the way. She had dug out half of it, fingers numb but bleeding once more, nose runny, and muscles aching.

She looked miserable (again), and boy did she feel miserable. The girl was sure this was the longest exposure she ever had in the cold while this underdressed. She could have grabbed something from her suitcase before venturing out again, but The Grinch seemed to have wanted her to follow him, even if he hadn't said anything. Plus, she didn't even know where her suitcase was, and that worried her slightly. She knew for a fact that she brought it up with her, as she distinctly remembered catching that damn thing one too many times from falling down the mountain after it constantly slipped out of her grasp, and cursing up a storm for packing so much for the trip her friends invited her to. But hey, the girl couldn't blame herself. She wasn't much of a camper to begin with, nor being used to the outdoors as much as the next person. However, this never meant she didn't find camping fun, though. It was just something she never preferred to do often.

A pang of grief stuck her heart at the thought of her friends and family back home hearing the news that their friend and daughter suddenly went missing. She knew her mother would lose it the most, memories from when she lost her daughter at Disney World springing up, probably. Brittany snorted at the memory, a smile etching onto her lips. All she wanted to do was climb onto a horse carriage display, and got angry when her grandfather plucked her off. She was furious, and stomped out of the museum only to get lost in the crowd. A ranger eventually found her and she was returned to her mother, but the brunette distinctly remembered the look of terror and relief she had on her face, tears falling. She told Brittany that that was the scariest moment of her life, so she could only imagine how petrified she was now.

Another wave of worry washed over her. There could be search parties being sent out, and flyers being printed everywhere. Then there could be mom and dad, sitting at their kitchen table at the end of each day, eyes darkly ringed with lack of sleep, and minds creating a thousand and one reasons as to _what happened. Why was she taken from us?_

Brittany laughed, sniffling. Wow, leave her alone in another world on top of a mountain for a while and _this_ is where her mind goes? Jeez, she might has well imagine her parents attending a funeral for her while she was at it.

With another cold laugh, the brunette adjusted her glasses and set to work again, wincing at the fabric of the mattress rubbing against her bloody fingers.


	5. Chapter 5: Official Home?

With a slam, the door that led to The Grinch's cave was closed, and a body slumped over itself in exhaustion.

It took her a while, but Brittany finally made it to the front door that led into The Grinch's cave with her new bed tucked under an arm.

She worked to the soft melodies of Whoville's citizens, but the hopeful music didn't convey how she felt. The harsh chills only drove her to work harder, and the promise of hypothermia if she stayed out any longer prompted her to haul the damn thing up the small hill with a strength she didn't know she had.

So, the girl stood there for a moment to gather her wits, hands on her knees for support and the mattress lying on the stone floor.

While the girl tried to pull herself back into the land of the living with nothing but pure willpower, she took the time to inspect her new bed for the first time.

The mattress wasn't queen sized, but it wasn't too small either. She'd be able to fit, fortunately. However, the brunette wasn't very fond of the rips and tears littering the fabric, or the yellow discoloration, signifying old age.

Brittany grimaced. This was disgusting. She still couldn't believe that she really just sorted through a pile of garbage. That in itself was a hell ride, but the thought of her sleeping on the monstrosity she just dragged back was even more gag-inducing.

Still, the girl didn't have agoraphobia or anything like that, but she did cringe at germs slightly more than the average person. She could only imagine how being thrust into a new lifestyle full of...filth, would affect her. Not very well, she presumed.

Ah, but addressing that would come later, as now was the time to calm her jack-hammer-like shivering by throwing on as many layers on at once. Where did her suitcase go…? And her backpack?

Temporarily leaving the mattress behind, the human began to trudge forward. The patter of paw-steps piqued her attention, and she turned her head to see Max loping towards her, tongue lolling out in a happy pant. Brittany smiled through her shaking and reached down to stroke the dog's head. He yipped, tail lashing about behind him.

"Hey buddy," she croaked out, and the canine stopped for a moment at her uneasy tone. His head cocked to one side as she spoke.

"Yeah, I look terrible, don't I? You can thank your owner for that. Made me fish my own bed out of trash in this!" She gestured to her attire, and Max whined. "I know, it sucks. Do you know where my suitcase is? I have clothes in there that can keep me warm."

With a harsh bark, Max took off running down a rocky pathway, and Brittany almost choked on air when he nodded. Wow, a dog that could understand English. That would take some getting used to.

Now that she thought about it, if Max could comprehend higher sentient beings, could other animals in this world understand as he did too? What did the other animals even look like? Maybe she didn't have to know, now that she thought about it. Perhaps all she'd have to do is skim through a Dr. Seuss book. Did they offer those in this world? Or did they have ordinary books (as ordinary as they could be for Whoville)?

The young woman let her feet move on their own accord after Max, mind stuck in the wonderments of this universe. She analyzed every contraption that came into view, and if it wasn't for the numbing excitement (or was that numbing sensation from the oncoming hypothermia?) rushing through her, she might have just shaken her head at this entire situation. It suddenly occurred to the girl that because she had been so preoccupied - from scaling a mountain to begging the Grinch not to be thrown out in the cold, to digging a beaten up, good for nothing mattress out of a pile of garbage - she never stopped to think about how amazing this was! When she returns home - if she ever returns home (that sent a shiver down her spine) - what would her family say? Her peers? NASA? How would she even present her case to NASA?

'Oh hey guys, sorry I wasn't able to come to work. I was busy being transported to Whoville by a portal of sorts and ruining and saving Christmas with my roomie The Grinch. I still have that internship, right? Won't happen again!'

God, she could imagine it now. Goodbye internship, goodbye perfect grades, goodbye job, goodbye everything, probably. Huh, it seemed that while her life was embarking on a journey that could change humanity forever, it was all falling apart at the same time. How would she ever get out of this, let alone try to wrap her head around everything that just happened to her?

Good thing bumping into Max stopped her from overthinking because her head was about to spin. With a gasp, the girl's attention suddenly snapped to the present, and she caught herself on shivering legs.

"Whoa, sorry Max! I was just thinking," she said, shaking her head a bit. Max only panted in response and gestured to Brittany's suitcase and backpack with his nose. Ah, so that's where they put them. The young woman smiled, roughing up the fur on top of his head.

"Thank you. Now I won't freeze to death," she grunted as she leaned down to unzip the case. With a heave, the brunette lifted the top and let it flop to the stone floor. The brown dog immediately took an interest, sniffing at the exotic scents that were previously trapped inside. The owner of the luggage could smell them too, although faintly. It reminded her of home. A pang of homesickness struck her heart.

Fortunately, needing extra pairs of clothing wouldn't be required for a long time, considering she packed plenty. Still, most of the articles were made for summer weather so a heavy winter jacket would serve well ASAP.

Again, traveling, camping, and the like, was never on the top of Brittany's list when it came to hobbies, but that didn't mean she never enjoyed them anyway. The young woman loved nature - hell, her entire dorm was decorated with plant life, old bones, and cool rocks. She was just the kind of person to stay inside most of the time. It was merely preferred, but when it was time to venture out for a while, the girl always made sure to come prepared.

Even if it meant packing her entire wardrobe.

After sifting a bit, Brittany chose fresh undergarments, a pair of pajamas, a thick, grey sweater which adorned an "Up North" logo on it with a picture of her home state below, and peach colored fuzzy socks. While eager to slip into the dry clothing, Brittany knew she'd first have to get out of the damp, heat stealing cloth that currently clung to her body.

The human sighed heavily, feeling exhausted. Even though Brittany found herself embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, right now she wanted nothing more than to change and sleep.

But, where was she to put her new mattress? Where would she change? Where was anything, really?

Hm. It looked like changing right there and passing out on the mattress with a hop, skip, and a jump would have to wait for a moment.

Max's sniffing of her fresh clothes brought Brittany back from her fantasy, and the girl chuckled, patting his snout.

"Smells different, huh?" She let him inspect the fabrics for a few more moments before laying them on her lap to zip the suitcase back up. She figured she'd leave it where it was for now before coming back later to take it and her backpack up to her new room. Or corner. It depended on where The Grinch felt on housing her.

A shiver ran through the young woman's body as she stood up, the cold getting to her once again. With climbing a mountain in soaked summer attire, to laying unconscious for a day in that attire, then going outside and getting soaked once more, there was a damn good chance in her book that she'd be catching a cold very soon. She knew that symptoms usually showed up around 2-3 days after becoming infected, so she could only imagine how her new roomie would take that – his new "sidekick" getting sick not even a couple days after letting her stay! Ho boy, the brunette could only hope she'd at least catch him in a good mood for that.

The human woman filled her lungs with the fresh, crisp cave air, stretching out her legs from kneeling. Most would think that caves smelled musky and earthy, and frankly, so did Brittany. Maybe they did smell that way in the tropics, but the cave she was in lied high up in a bitter environment where the chance for foliage and animal decay was nearly impossible. If it wasn't for the lack of wind or the sight of cave walls everywhere she looked, Brittany would have thought she was outside based on the clean, order-less smell.

Hiding the personal pieces of cloth inside the far less offending hoodie, she draped everything chosen over one forearm and turned to Max for aid once more.

"Alright, I'm ready now. Can you take me to The Grinch?"

The dog nodded again and took off through a rocky archway that led to what looked like the living area in this makeshift of a home. It was the most enormous room in the entire cave, after all. As Brittany trickled in after Max, she could tell that this was the most beautiful room this place had to offer too. The girl realized right then that the movie didn't do any of the scenery justice. Everything was created with props in the film, and it was recorded, so it was entirely possible that processing the images through so many screens would make it all look less grand. However, here, it was all real. There were the magnificent stalactites that hung proudly from the impossibly high ceilings to the wacky looking machinery that was put together from God knows how many separate appliances (and still managed to look whole and Dr. Seuss worthy). There was the calming aura elicited by the soft blue and green hues gleaming through the cracks of the rock above, and the mellow glow of the sepia colored lights strung about the cave. It was like Brittany was in a wonderland. And, to make it better, she was there, taking it all in with her own eyes.

It took her breath away. The Grinch's home was truly magnificent, and definitely deserved a stamp of approval from Brittany's aesthetic standards.

Taking one last look (which would indeed not be her last), her gaze then searched for a particular green Who. She needed to be given a room fast so she could have the proper privacy to change and get rid of the blasted cold. Then she'd set up her belongings there, bandage her fingers, make sure all was good and dandy, then pass out like a light.

It was then that Brittany noticed Max was gone. Man, she was really zoning out a lot today, wasn't she? Then again, she was tired, and she was in a foreign world. It only made sense that her thoughts were running wild. Besides, it kept everything from becoming too overwhelming.

The young human woman didn't have to search hard, though. In a few seconds, she spotted a brown quadrupedal figure trotting around an unmistakable green one that stuck out like a sore thumb.

Max began to yap and bark, bowing over with his tail swishing quickly through the air. It was clear he wanted to play, but his owner, who had a relatively contrasting personality, thought otherwise.

"Max, can't you see I'm busy?! Get lost!" A furry green hand ceased messing with some mechanics in a giant machine to wave the playful dog off, then returned to continue its project. Max, despite his higher intelligence, didn't seem to take the hint and continued to frolic around his master's crouched form.

The Grinch was apparently in a sour mood, and Brittany wondered how she was to approach him. His back was to her, but if she leaned to the side a bit, she could see that he was using those cogs picked from the dump to perform maintenance. He seemed frustrated, but it didn't seem to be directed at Max, nor at the mechanic task at hand. The green Who's mind was elsewhere - that much the brunette could tell even from standing across the room.

Was it because of her? Even though the Whoville newcomer was very displeased at her new roommate leaving her to dig that mattress out by herself (what a great host!), his mood seemed light. Furthermore, while The Grinch was sarcastic and mean all the time, he seemed pleased to talk to someone, anyone, in a sarcastic and mean kind of way.

The poor thing, Brittany sighed. Maybe The Grinch was at war with himself about letting her stay, or perhaps he was truly happy about it but didn't know how to express it (he could thank that from good ol' childhood trauma). Nonetheless, she was here now, and only time would tell her how he felt.

Deciding it was time not to continue being a creep and stare at The Grinch's back intently, the girl slowly walked up to the green Who. He didn't seem to notice her behind him; his hands never ceased their job of repairs, and his figure never straightened in attention.

"Mr. Grinch?" Brittany asked casually, but oh so sweetly. There was a slight pause in his movements when he was called, but kept working after he acknowledged her with a grunt.

"Where am I going to sleep? I'd like to change and have somewhere to put my things."

Max turned his attention to the new arrival then, chocolate brown eyes beaming at another potential playmate. Although Brittany had known the odd duo personally for barely any time at all, she noticed that Max seemed to be happier with another person around; someone that wasn't grumpy all the time and continuously blowing him off. In the movie, Max was obedient and calm, rather than distracted and playful.

The brunette smiled inside, happy to know that maybe it was her that was unclogging all that pent up puppy-ness that the mutt had to be harboring.

"Max, be useful for a change and show her a room! It's obvious that I'm too busy to do it myself," The Grinch ordered, and his mind seemed out of the clouds when he spoke, voice firm and confident as usual, but the monotonous task at hand pulled him back into those clouds rather quickly. And just like that, he was quiet again, head clogged with thoughts like soft foods stuck in a drain that you can only pick out piece by piece, slowly, sorting them out.

Brittany nervously fiddled with the clothes draped over her arm as a sort of comfort to The Grinch's attitude. Would he kick her out if his personal dilemma led to him regretting bringing her in?

Maybe it was best to leave the Who be for the moment. The woman was sure that his uneasiness wouldn't be settled overnight, so the best thing she could do was to prove all the outlandish things she claimed about herself and origins as true. Quickly remembering her backpack and suitcase, Brittany knew she had the materials to do it. All that was left was to sit The Grinch down and tell him everything.

A nudge to the thigh woke the brunette from her 100th trance today, her unwavering gaze broken from the green hair of The Grinch's back to the eyes of Max. Brittany smiled and walked toward the canine with a sigh.

"Okay, let's go, Max."

The dog took off in a quick trot then, tail still not finished with it's excited wagging ever since she'd woken up from her sleep.

—

Not much of The Grinch in this one. Mostly just Brittany, taking in her surroundings and thinking about how her life back at home might be going downhill.

Oh, well. She's got a cool sentient dog now! That'll make up for everything, right?

I really don't want to rush things with this story. I want to take it slow, just like a real budding friendship between someone like the Grinch and another would take. Some people, though, just want to get to the "good stuff." That's okay, I guess, especially if it makes the person happy, but no matter which way you slice it, there's no time taken to make the relationship realistic/relatable to the audience.

Good thing that every word I write is "good stuff." I love this movie so much, so any interaction makes me delighted.

Still, though, please warn me if there are typos, or if things are running along a little too quickly. Suggestions on how the story could go to add chemistry between Brittany and The Grinch would help as well! Two, three, ten, or more heads are better than one!

Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!


	6. AN

Hello everyone!

Before I begin, I just want to say thank you for all the support I've been receiving for this story. I work very hard on it, but even so, I didn't expect it to take off. I hope you guys stick around because I gotta let you all know something.

The thing is that during college semesters (Fall: Sept. 4th - Dec. 14th, Winter: Jan. 14th - May 10th), it's really hard for me to work on my stories. Even when I spread homework out throughout the week, things can still get crazy busy. It's college, after all. All I'm saying is to not expect too much activity during those times except for replying to comments and the like.

Don't worry, though, because I've got some big events planned! A huge problem was that most of the storyline was rather vague, so I think it's best if I solidify that until I know what chapter will have what, who talks to who, etc etc etc.

Don't think that I'm, like, slithering to a cave somewhere and coming out eons from now when I have a masterpiece planned down to the T. I have chapter 6 started and planned out completely. I'm just kinda...putting it on hold until I know what the rest of the story will look like. It's during Christmas break and summer vacation that I'll have so much more time to write, and I am LIVING for those days.

I just didn't want to leave you all hanging for as long as I have. You at least deserve to know what's going on.

Thank you! Stay tuned!

-A.C.


	7. Chapter 6: Working Through It

_"Promise me you'll be careful. You promise me."_

 _"Please, mom. Don't make this harder than it has to be._ I'm _the one leaving!" The brunette settled her suitcase more comfortably beside her. "Don't rile me up." Her tone turned cold, trying to cover her rising emotions with stubbornness, but the girl's mother knew her firstborn well. She grabbed her daughter's hands and held tight like she suddenly changed her mind about the entire trip. Her aged eyes were sad and watering while her husband stood idly by, waiting his turn to speak to his daughter one last time in person before he let her go. His own eyes brimmed with tears, too - tears he'd always blame on the dust in the air._

 _The girl's little sister was there as well, not quite sure what to make of the send-off. She held something in her hands: a drawing, just for her big sis - one of mom, dad, and her, on a tiny, tiny, blue and green planet far off in a distance of black colored pencil space, waving to their family member who returned the gesture from the moon._

 _The younger girl thought about all the chores she'd have to make up for her sister's absence. All the annoying lectures about science and dating she'd get to escape. All the family dinners with just three members. All the backflips on the trampoline she wouldn't get to show her. All the dance shows she wouldn't be able to come to._

 _It hurt to let her big sister go._

 _The family wound up crying that day, hugging and kissing until others began to stare. The ride from home to the college was three hours away, and the newly accepted student promised she'd visit every month or so. However, the fact that a new chapter in her life was opening - the chapter of true adulthood - didn't help anyone accept that their little girl, their big sister, was growing up and leaving the nest._

 _The sun beat down on the campus, and its people, causing them to squint through the harsh lighting, and, to the brunette, gripping her luggage handles' with sweaty palms and tugging them to the front doors of a new world, it all felt like a dream._

—

The first thing Brittany felt was the weight of many fabric layers covering her body, almost pushing her form into her bed. Odd. She only used _one_ blanket to sleep.

Turning her head to the side, she noted that the air felt off, too. The atmosphere in her dorm room was never this thin or chilly. It was a pleasant feeling border-lining on discomfort. Maybe her roommate cranked the air conditioning to overdrive during the night, and _also_ remodeled the ceiling to be five hundred feet higher than it should be. Everything just felt more stretched out. Lighter, _bigger._

So, what was going on?

As she moved her head back upright, Brittany's brain finally came to, and she immediately put it to work in retracing her steps from the day before. But, for some reason, she couldn't come up with anything. All was blank except for the memory of her dream. Therefore, that had to be the reason why she felt a lone tear slip steadily down her cheek, uncomfortably down the underside of her ear, and soak into the pillow. Her neck stiffened then, trying not to move so she couldn't feel the wet spot.

 _Why would I dream about that?_ Brittany thought. Well, of course, she _was_ in college at the moment, in her dorm room, so very far away from what she still considered her rightful home. It was probably just that subconscious form of homesickness knocking on her door again.

And homesickness she felt when honey brown eyes cracked open to, in horror, not see the pale cream ceiling of her dorm room, but a rocky, cave-like one, dotted with stalactites and illuminated by soft hues of green and blue.

Despite the calming nature of her surroundings, the woman was suddenly thrust into a panic, body springing up and eyes darting to and fro like bullets to try and _remember_ where she was and how the _hell_ she got there.

And then, it clicked.

It all came crashing down like a bolt of lightning, like rushing water breaking a dam, like a jump scare in a movie. Her mouth moved to curse out, to make a sound, but the muscles constricted, and any noise was caught in her throat.

Camping trip. Falling unconscious. Snow. No service. Rock Climbing. Bloody fingers. Singing. A talking dog. An old mattress.

 _The Grinch._

No. That was...impossible! It had to be! All of it! None of that _really_ happened, right? Either she was lucid dreaming at the moment, or all that schoolwork was finally getting to her head.

In the end, though, no matter what she thought to herself, the unmistakable pointed rock and movie hues of the cave were enough to convince her. So was the dirty mattress she was lying on, and the slight smell of dog on her hands from petting Max, and the bandages on her fingertips, and the ratty blanket from before currently clutched in her fists.

A part of her wished none of this was real, even though it was a dream come true at the same time. The feeling of her heart being raised to the ceiling in elation and sunken to the deepest pits of her stomach mixed into a disgusting concoction that left a bad taste in her mouth. The girl swallowed it down, smacking her tongue to rid the taste. It didn't help.

She thought about talking because maybe she could convince herself that she was still dreaming. However, she supposed that wouldn't really be of any use. Everything she went through was real, she knew deep down. If anything, talking would only bother her sleepy ears, and possibly alert anyone else close by. She needed time to compose herself.

So, Brittany didn't dare make a sound, didn't sigh, didn't really move much. She only stared around at what she'd be forced to call her new room, her new home, for now. Or forever.

Her heart fell out of her body and sunk to the floor.

The woman guessed it really didn't click up until now; she was so caught up in settling in and marveling at the wonder of the foreign world around her. She was astounded, happy, in slack-jawed awe. Now she was crying with the utmost feeling of helplessness she'd ever experienced, not making the slightest attempt to at least wipe her tears.

Huh, and to think that moving to _college_ was daunting. At least Brittany's family had been in the same _universe_ as her.

The college student decided then that if she ever managed to get back home, she had better have a golden-ass statue made for her on every street corner. Her name in every history textbook. Her bank account stuffed with cash. Her Instagram follower count breaking records.

After thinking about other things that would be done in her honor, the pained brunette felt the tears cease. Crying was an excellent emotion reliever, but that wouldn't get her home.

After some long, shaking breaths, the girl knew that she needed a game plan of sorts. Wallowing in panic and helplessness would only make her go insane. Even if the young woman didn't go to school long enough to learn the art of portal crafting, she had to try _something._ All of what she learned as a scientist-in-training would be put to the test, but it was a challenge she would have to take.

 _One step at a time, though,_ Brittany reminded herself when her stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. The human girl frowned, worried that she'd have to dig through that wretched dump for food, but was relieved when she remembered the various snacks she had packed for the camping trip. Hungry eyes darted around the space for her possessions, and at last, found them lying against the wall adjacent to her bed. She knew the Grinch wasn't in the mood for helping her settle in last night, so she and Max must have put them there.

Chilly fingers wrapped around her coverings before pulling them to the side, and even with thick pajamas and a sweater on, the frosty air still bit through the fibers and dug into her flesh. A shiver ran up the brunette's spine, and she made a mental note to tell the Grinch to build a heater for her or something. That was, mind him, if he ever wanted his new sidekick to stay alive for more than a week.

Flinging her legs over the mattress, Brittany slowly stood up to full height. Her fuzzy peach socks didn't do much to keep the cold of the stone floor away from her feet, either. That shook her body again, and by the time she had crouched beside her possessions, she was shivering violently.

The woman sighed in annoyance and changed plans to warm up first before eating. After some quick rummaging through her suitcase, she found a pair of salt and pepper sweatpants and a dry bra. She slipped the articles on, with the pants resting on top of her pajama bottoms. Because everything was packed for a _summer_ getaway, most clothes were very thin - layering was the best option until she could travel down to Whoville (How strange it was to say that unironically) to buy proper attire.

Next were the damp clothes from the night before. Until she settled in further and learned where she could wash her wear, wet ones would have to be laid out to dry. Brittany did just that, then, trying her best to place them anywhere that wasn't on the dirty ground.

Brushing her teeth after wasn't tricky, as she had the proper materials for it, but she just hoped that the Grinch wouldn't find out about a particular corner of the room that she declared her "spitting corner."

At last, with the makeshift morning routine done, it was time for a mediocre breakfast. Her stomach whined and groaned but was satisfied when its owner found a freshly-bought bag of animal crackers inside of her backpack. Brittany's eyes closed in bliss after eagerly shoving a handful into her mouth.

Before she could finish the entire bag, though, something shiny inside of her bag caught her attention. The girl suddenly recognized it as her phone, and her heart both leaped and ached at the possibility of any new messages. Even though it just couldn't happen, she knew, maybe something was there anyway. The college student sighed deeply, munching on another cracker. With the recent breakdown and all, anything coming through might lift her spirits.

Grabbing for the device, she stared at the black screen as it lay in her hand. It was almost ominous, and Brittany felt a twinge of anxiety shoot up her spine. She stood up.

 _Please, please, please, please…_ she thought, but it was to no avail. The only thing that showed up when she pressed the home button was the lock-screen wallpaper of her cat sitting next to her old living room window.

However, that wasn't the only thing that showed up.

The sight startled Brittany out of an oncoming wave of disappointment (and a cursing fit). If stared at long enough, the date and time glitched out at random intervals, sometimes so small she had to squint to see the static, and sometimes so big she couldn't even recognize what was supposed to be there. Not only that, but the date and time, when _able_ to be seen, was frozen, and that freaked her out for more reasons than one. She contemplated what it read.

July 3rd, 2:20 PM.

Her mind filled with questions. Just when did she arrive in this story? Was it July where she was currently, and if that was true, did that mean July in Whoville was a frozen tundra? Was it like that all year round? Or, maybe, was it that her phone just couldn't find any connection to satellites and update itself? If so, perhaps it was closer to Christmas than she thought, then?

The questions rattled in her skull until they became too confusing, and so Brittany shook her head to rid them. Unfortunately, her phone was now more proof that she had universe-hopped. Or, would the better term be "world-hopping?" Maybe, considering one world just couldn't consist of everything that makes up a universe. Then again, the snowflake Whoville was in seemed to be surrounded by what could be other worlds, so maybe she _was_ in a universe, which made up the snowflake, which was in _her_ universe?

Had she discovered the very first _micro-verse with sentient beings?!_

Ho boy, if only she weren't in a man-made _Grinch_ movie, of all things. Then maybe this discovery would really knock her world's socks off.

The young woman put her phone back into her backpack, along with the animal crackers. She quickly ran a brush through her hair to make herself look at least mildly presentable, realized she wouldn't look that way with how greasy the strands were, and felt a bit self-conscious as she put the brush back.

Taking a step out into the "hallway," for lack of a better term, Brittany began to search for her new green roommate. She noticed how her room was the closest thing to the living area, which was only some feet down the rest of the winding walkway of the cave that lead to the front door. Shoving her hands into the large belly pocket of her hoodie, she took a couple steps down to survey the area. As before, random spotlights of blues from the sky filled the cracks in the mile-high ceiling and blanketed the floor, while yellow Who-made lights were strung about like some kind of teenager's bedroom. It was pretty, as usual, but there was no Grinch. It also just felt rather…strange to just…wander around a movie set, but it _wasn't_ a movie set. This was real life. Brittany was in a movie, and she wasn't daydreaming this time.

Brittany wondered how many times she'd say that before it either sunk in or pulled her further from reality and made her go insane.

A bark broke the brunette's gaze from the interior design of her new shared living room, and she locked eyes on Max, who had been sleeping in a dog bed but sprang up to meet his new playmate. He panted happily, tail swishing from side to side as he trotted over. He ran circles around the human before stopping to let the girl scratch behind his adorable floppy ears.

"Hey, Max!" She greeted. "Thank you for helping with my new room last night. That was very sweet of you," she finished, finding it silly to talk to a dog in full sentences, even though she was well aware Max wasn't like normal dogs.

The brown canine only licked her hand in response, and Brittany looked around the room again. It was too quiet. Still no Grinch.

"Well, looks like the Grinch isn't in this room," she said to Max. "Do you know where he is? I have to talk to him." About what, she had no idea. She just hoped it would come to her.

Max turned his head to point with his nose to the highest peak of the cave, which was past the winding staircase and leading to the front door. Ah, so he was outside.

"Thanks, buddy," she praised before giving him one last pat on the head. The dog yipped before trailing off somewhere to do whatever sentient dogs did.

Brittany wondered how the Grinch would take seeing her again. She hoped he had cooled off since his little mood from the night before, but if the reason why he was feeling angry was that of her very presence, then she doubted he was peachy. Then again, when was the Grinch ever peachy? The thought made her giggle a bit.

At last, the young woman made it to the front door. It stood tall (well, to her, at least), the sloppy craftsmanship of the wooden planks comical, but somehow ominous, too.

That must have been because of what lied on the other side.

Brittany took a breath, laid her hand on the doorknob, and pushed the barrier to the outside world open.

Just as Max gestured, the green Who in all his grouchy glory was right where he was said to be. Maybe it was the slight howl of the wind that covered up the creak of the wooden door, or perhaps it was the Grinch's uncanny ability to ignore sounds for the sake of cinematic presence, but whatever it was, the Who stood Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame style away from the approaching human girl, not moving an inch. In fact, the only sign that he wasn't frozen into a statue was the heavy rise and fall of his torso when he breathed with a growl. Even his arms were crossed tightly against his chest.

Needless to say, now wasn't a good time to talk to the Grinch.

But, because Brittany was so good at breaking the ice, why not she do that anyway, at the worst possible time?

Because honestly, it was that or wander aimlessly around the cave, doomed by her nervousness to never address the problem.

The brunette shut the door behind her as gently as possible, even though she could bet her left arm that grouch knew she was there anyway. She then sunk her hands into that giant hoodie pocket as deep as they could go and kept her eyes trained on the Grinch's back as she took some steps forward. Her shoes compressed the snow beneath the soles, which created nice, loud snow-stepping sounds. The Grinch's angry huffing only got louder as she got closer, and she half expected him to tear his attention away from Whoville below to strangle her or something ridiculous like that.

At last, the small, ten-foot trek was finished after what felt like one thousand years, and Brittany only had a few feet left to go to stand beside him.

She didn't dare make that distance, though. Instead, she thought hard of something to say from behind.

"Hi."

Wow. Clearly, if _that_ wasn't going to sweep the Grinch off his feet, she didn't know _what_ would. While the sheepish girl facepalmed mentally, all she got was a low grunt from the Who in response. Well, at least there was _some_ acknowledgment. A pissy one, but one nonetheless. She decided to say something else other than "Hi" and write her name in the snow with the tip of her shoe.

"Uh, what's wrong? You've…been in a bad mood since last night," Brittany managed to say, and before she could take a red pen to what went wrong with that new sentence, she realized she wouldn't have to, because something managed to set the Grinch off. Without warning, the mountain bum spun around to snarl at the other.

"YOU'RE what's wrong!"

Ouch. That stung.

"I don't get it!" He continued. " _Portals?!_ Those ridiculous clothes?! That nose?!" As any self-respecting asshole would do, the towering male gestured rather dramatically to the objects in question just to lay it on thick, and so while Brittany understood the Grinch's concerns wholeheartedly, she had to force her body from shrinking in on itself.

"Grahh, Whoville's trying to mess with me! After all these years, they really think they can just throw me off this mountain, MY mountain, with some sort of _spy?!"_ He spun around again to face the _actually_ human girl after glaring down at the gleeful town below he so hated. The wind blew his fur this way and that, as well as Brittany's hair. She felt cold and uncomfortable, her heart squeezing in a small panic party. Would he decide to throw her out, right then and there?

"I shouldn't have let you in! And so quickly, too! I wasn't in my right mind - maybe because I'm-"

He cut himself off, but that did it, and Brittany understood him better then. She knew exactly what he wanted to say, but something inside of him ground that slimy, green tongue to a halt. Something inside that demanded that he isolate himself from the rest of the world because no matter what he tried, the Grinch knew he'd never be accepted. Something inside that prided in, well, pride.

He was going to say, "lonely." She could tell by how silent the mountain became so suddenly, by the Grinch's tight-lipped expression, by his slumped posture, and by the hurt in those yellow eyes hiding behind all the walls he'd set up over the years.

The atmosphere was just as tense as before but for a different reason this time.

"You really don't believe me, do you?" Brittany started out slow, almost honey-like to keep things cool, hopefully. She tried not directly to address the nerve the Grinch hit for her, but still left its presence lingering. The green Who's eyes hardened again.

"Of course I don't!" He got silent, then almost laughed, but it was in a mocking kind of way. "Having nothing but a dog for company must have finally pried some screws loose."

" _Finally?"_ What did "finally" mean? Mr. Humbug there was being a little too generous with himself, Brittany concluded because she knew that those screws were pried loose long ago. Of course, that was kept to herself, especially when she was in perfect throwing distance from the edge of the cliff. Instead, she took his inner pain into account and continued that velvet, pleading tone.

"Let me prove it to you. Please. It'll all make sense after I explain." She took a cautious step forward. The Grinch was silent, his back to her again.

"That is - if you'll let me," she continued. "Even _you_ know something's not right here."

"Don't tell me what I know!" The Grinch retorted quickly in a weak attempt to keep his dignity intact after revealing a very private side of himself to her. After a few short seconds of thought, the Who crossed his arms and gave in.

"Fine. If you can prove to me you're not from Whoville, then you can stay _forever,_ for all I care!" A balloon of hope inflated in Brittany's belly, but the Grinch wasn't finished.

"But, if you're wrong…" He took a haunting step forward. "If you're really a no-good liar that dared to venture into the Grinch's lair…" Brittany didn't open her mouth to mention that _he_ was the one that took her in.

"Then you'll be out in the snow faster than you can say, _"Christmas cheer,"_ He finished with a growl that, this time, meant what he said. Still, though, even through the fear that made the hairs on the back of Brittany's neck stand up, she knew deep down that she could make it work. The girl managed to smile cockily, right in front of the Grinch's nose.

"Trust me, Mr. Grinch, I think you'll be pretty convinced," she said with a shrug to level that confidence out. "Would I lie to you?"

The Grinch squinted suspiciously at her.

"I don't know. _Would you?"_

A vision of the lost human girl seeing her family again came in a flash, and through the whipping winds at the top of Mount Crumpit, Brittany was filled with determination.

"Let's find out."

—

Heyyy, merry belated Christmas! I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish this on Christmas day - it was Christmas day, and we also packed a bit for a vacation, of which I'm now on. And honestly, you'd think I'd save myself from laying a finger on my laptop during a relaxing trip, but that's not the case. No homework on break means more time for story production!

This may or may not be the last chapter that mostly consists of description and thinking rather than actual dialogue. This one was important, though, as the entire situation comes crashing down on the main character, and she takes the first steps to work through it. What, you really think settling into another world after being ripped from your home is that easy?

Also, I needed to get that domestic, morning routine stuff out of the way.

There's some Grinch at the end, though, and the next chapter will start out with the two of them, so stay tuned! Things are gonna start picking up now!

Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!


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